There has been a long-felt need for an expansible linkage for use in the manufacture of expansible bands such as wrist watch bands, identification bracelets and other articles of jewelry, the sides of which when viewed from the top are provided with attractive configurations, for example tapered from their ends towards their central portions or vice versa.
There has also been a long-felt need for a method of making such expansible linkages.
The following patents disclose various constructions of non-expansible bands which are unsatisfactory for use in manufacturing expansible bands.
__________________________________________________________________________ Country Patent No. Date Inventor __________________________________________________________________________ United States 2,079,386 May 4, 1937 Schofer France 1,329,121 Apr. 29, 1963 Fischer United States 3,195,301 July 20, 1965 Bello Germany 1,232,776 Jan. 19, 1967 Rodi & Wienenberger United States 3,609,963 Oct. 5, 1971 Ichinose United States 3,690,064 Sept. 12, 1972 Pompeo __________________________________________________________________________
While Schaudel U.S. Pat. No. 3,846,976 dated Nov. 12, 1974 discloses an expansible linkage for a wrist watch band the sides of which increase in width from the central portion towards its ends, it would be very expensive to manufacture such a linkage because at least the solid members 4 adjacent to each end of the band must be made of different configurations and they are very thick. Furthermore the linkage is not provided with ornamental top shells and consequently it would be very expensive to provide the upper surfaces of the solid elements 2 and 4 with ornamental surfaces having different designs for different watch bands. In addition, the Schaudel method of manufacture is very expensive. So far as I know, expansible watch bands of the Schaudel construction have not been made or sold in this country.